


Because of You, So There’s Me

by fourtimesaroundthesun



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Abrupt Ending, Ambiguous Relationships, Bedsharing, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Rated T for language, Self-Indulgent, Short, Soft Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Soft Lee Taeyong, Spooning, They're In Love Your Honor, a proposal of sorts, idolverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourtimesaroundthesun/pseuds/fourtimesaroundthesun
Summary: Doyoung stops by Taeyong's room after the prerecording for SM Town Live.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 24
Kudos: 193





	Because of You, So There’s Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by "Because of You" by Mayday. [mv](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s8Iot-uo7s) | [lyrics](https://maydaylyrics.wordpress.com/singles/%e5%9b%a0%e4%b8%ba%e4%bd%a0-%e6%89%80%e4%bb%a5%e6%88%91-because-of-you/)
> 
> I seem to be on a roll lately with writing Dotae! The following headcanon came to mind when I saw Taeyong's performances in SM Town Live. This is completely self-indulgent fluff that nobody asked for, but here you are anyway. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Not beta'd, all mistakes are my own.

Taeyong’s trying to get comfortable on his bed when he hears a staccato rap on his door. He groans. The last thing he wants to do is drag his body out of bed when he’s in this state. He hopes whoever is disturbing his rest has a damn good reason to do so.

He opens the door, hoping it’s not obvious he’s wincing in pain, to find Doyoung with his lips pursed into a thin line. If it’s Doyoung, he especially hopes he was convincing with his act that he’s feeling completely normal. He has a sense that Doyoung has a lecture coming on.

“Taeyong-hyung,” Doyoung begins sternly. Taeyong sighs inwardly. Here we go.

“Don’t try to pretend I didn’t see you wincing just now. You shouldn’t have performed today; you were in no shape to. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that you were in pain and could barely dance. Don’t even get me started about your backwards fall during Kick It. Management is pushing you too hard and you need to stop letting them.”

It’s not the first time they’ve had this conversation, but it’s the first time Doyoung has brought it up so seriously and plainly. 

“I’m just worried about you, hyung,” the harsh edge to Doyoung’s voice softening. “I know you’re so grateful for the opportunities you’ve been given and want to dedicate all your efforts to prove that you deserve them, but sometimes it’s to the detriment of your health. You need to start putting yourself first. You’re going to burn yourself out too soon if you keep this up.” 

“You know how this industry is,” Taeyong frowns. “There might not be a career left if I take it easy.”

It’s hard to ever get Doyoung to stop arguing, but Doyoung seems to be having trouble refuting this one. “Still,” Doyoung finally replies. “This career is only a sliver of your life. At the end of the day, you have to live with the decisions you made during your career for the rest of your life. How are we supposed to grow old and go to the nursing home together if you dance yourself to an early grave, hmmm hyung?”

Taeyong feels himself get flustered and tries to hide it behind a cough. Unfortunately, the cough exacerbates his back pain, and he finds himself grimacing. Taeyong feels the steadying hands of Doyoung on his body. 

“You should lie down,” Doyoung suggests. “I’ll go get a warm compress for your back.”

Taeyong watches Doyoung’s receding figure and follows Doyoung’s instructions.

Doyoung returns with a damp towel in hand. He sits in Taeyong’s desk chair and rolls over to the bed. “Is this okay, hyung?” he asks as he lifts the hem of Taeyong’s shirt. Taeyong nods his assent, and Doyoung places the warm towel on the small of Taeyong’s back. 

Doyoung rubs slow, deep circles on Taeyong’s back, and Taeyong closes his eyes, lured in by the cotton soft atmosphere of care Doyoung creates. “Give yourself a break, hyung,” Doyoung whispers. “Let me take care of you.”

Taeyong feels like his heart is about to burst out of his chest. He always feels so _safe_ around Doyoung, that he is free to be who he is without judgment and Doyoung will love him just as he is. When he’s with Doyoung, he feels like they’re the only two people in the world. It’s in large part to how Doyoung makes Taeyong feel special, makes Taeyong feel like all of Doyoung’s attention is focused on him. Doyoung’s always there, willing to lend a listening ear to hear Taeyong’s problems and brainstorm with him, willing to put his own ego aside and celebrate Taeyong’s victories as if they are his own. If Taeyong were to describe Doyoung, he would say that Doyoung was like the warm oversized sweaters that Doyoung was fond of wearing.

As per usual, when Taeyong is tired, his tension goes up. Today is no exception, the pain adding to his delirium. Taeyong begins giggling uncontrollably, thinking about the slight frown on Doyoung’s face when he was joking around with Baekhyun during the pre-recording. Taeyong knows he should probably not resort to such petty tricks and maneuvers, but he’s addicted to the feeling of being wanted when Doyoung gets jealous. Taeyong really likes Baekhyun hyung, he really does, but if he plays up the closeness of their relationship for the cameras and in front of Doyoung, well, who has to know? 

“What’s got you smiling like that?” Doyoung asks. There’s a twinkle in his eye, and he looks so _fond_.

“You should have seen your face when I was talking to Baekhyun-hyung!” Taeyong hoots. “Admit it, Doie, you were jealous.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” Doyoung huffs. Taeyong just laughs harder in disbelief.

“Fine, maybe I was a little bit jealous,” Doyoung pouts petulantly. “But could Baekhyun-hyung really come between us? Did Baekhyun-hyung buy you couple rings?” Doyoung asks, and lifts Taeyong’s hand to ghost his lips over Taeyong’s index finger. Taeyong takes a harsh intake of breath, effectively shut up. 

“When did you get so smooth?” Taeyong looks away, embarrassed.

Doyoung chuckles, sounding pleased with himself. “Maybe it’s from acting for my drama,” he winks.

“Gross,” Taeyong replies.

“Anyway,” the corner of Doyoung’s mouth quirks up a little bit, “if you want my attention so much, why don’t you just tell me, hyung?”

Taeyong buries his face in his pillow, caught red-handed. “I hate you,” he mumbles into his pillow. Doyoung laughs, victorious, his laugh bell-like and bright. 

Doyoung chases Taeyong’s face with his own. “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed, our Yong-ie,” Doyoung coos, and Taeyong deliberates if it’s worth the prison sentence for murdering Doyoung. 

Doyoung’s laugh subsides, and Taeyong turns to face him. “You’re so gorgeous,” Doyoung says reverently, gaze intense on Taeyong. It’s too much for Taeyong, and he averts his eyes, a blush coming on. No matter how many times people tell him that, he never gets used to it. He doesn’t really think he’s anything special anyway. Though Doyoung doesn’t get praised for his visuals nearly as much as Taeyong does, Taeyong thinks Doyoung is the gorgeous one. He peeks at Doyoung’s inquisitive eyes, his elegant neck, the broad expanse of his shoulders, and he feels a sense of _want_. Taeyong suppresses the thought. It wouldn’t do to go too far down that line of thinking. 

“Well,” Doyoung finally says, breaking the moment. “It’s getting late, I should probably go.”

Taeyong is desperate, scrabbling to hold onto Doyoung. “Can you stay with me tonight, Doie?”

“Okay,” Doyoung quietly acquiesces. “Okay. Just for tonight. I still need to get ready for bed though. Have you gotten ready already?” Taeyong nods in response.

When Doyoung comes back, he slips into Taeyong’s bed, bracketing Taeyong’s smaller frame with his larger one. For a second, Taeyong lets himself daydream about a life where they could be together like this every day, a life where they could grow old together without the prying eyes of the media and the fans. 

Taeyong isn’t sure what comes over him, but suddenly it feels very important for Doyoung to _know_. “Doyoung!” Taeyong hisses.

“Hmmm, hyung?” Doyoung’s voice is a little rough like sandpaper, and Taeyong feels a little bad for disrupting Doyoung from his slumber.

“I’m who I am today because of you, Dongyoung. You saved me. Because of you, there’s me. In the end it’s you, Doie. I want to grow old with you. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Doyoung murmurs. “When all this is over, when the stage lights go down for the last time, when there’s no longer anyone cheering our name, I’ll steal you away.” 

Taeyong falls asleep with a smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> For clarification, in this piece, due to the nature of the industry, the two flirt with the boundary between best friends and lovers but don't actually cross it.
> 
> Get well soon Taeyong, and happy new year!
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are very much appreciated :)
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/4xaroundthesun)


End file.
